City of Cañon City mulls bike routes

Committee formed to identify potential paths across Cañon City

By CARIE CANTERBURY canterburyc@ cañoncitydailyrecord.com

Posted:
11/30/2012 08:00:12 PM MST

A ghost bike memorial for slane bicyclist Kyle Keefe stands at the intersection of Field Avenue and Leslie Lane to mark the site of his fatal accident. Local cyclists Dr. Dean Sandoval and Scott Eckstrom, owner and op´
erator of Red Canyon Cycles, are part of a committee invited to work alongside city officials to determine if and where safe bicycle routes could be established in incorporated Cañon City.
(Jeff Shane/Daily Record)

Some Cañon City bicyclists aren't interested in seeing Cañon City become a more bicycle-friendly community.

They want to see it become a bicycling community.

Local cyclists Dr. Dean Sandoval and Scott Eckstrom, owner and operator of Red Canyon Cycles, are part of a committee invited to work alongside City officials to determine if and where safe bicycle routes could be established in incorporated Cañon City.

The project is in its very early stages, but committee members are passionate about the need for safe routes.

"Since I opened up the shop (in May), I've had lot of different customers come in from a lot of different disciplines in riding styles and say we need bike lines," Eckstrom said. "What we would really like to see is safer streets, more awareness and more acceptance from the motorist community."

City Councilman Colby Katchmar is a liaison between the City and the committee. He said there was a lot of excitement among City Council to see the City move toward forming a committee to identify safe routes through town.

"I would encourage people to keep their eyes and ears open and be a part of the process," he said.

The committee will meet regularly to work to setup a grid-work of suggested cycling routes.

"Not necessarily a change of infrastructure such as making roads wider or anything like that because it's not economically feasible," Sandoval said.

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"(We could incorporate) signage and maybe some bike lines painted onto the road or bicycle symbols on the road."

Signage and symbols would indicate to motorists that the road is a bicycle route and the motorists should give bicyclists the right-of-way. He said possible bicycle routes include Fifth Street, 19th Street, High Street, and Harding.

"Part of my vision for this community is building a bicycle culture for the community and for the positive implications of tourism," Eckstrom said.

A significant portion of the committee's work, he said, is public education and awareness.

Sandoval has commuted by bicycle to his dental practice at 1215 N. 15th Street for 30 years. He has noticed an increase in the cycling community in the last five years.

"I believe that we're going to see more people riding bikes, using it as an alternate form of transportation," Eckstrom said. "Based on what my customers have told me, the only thing prohibiting that from growing faster is their fear of the motorists."

Kyle Keefe, 49, died after being hit while riding his bicycle in September near Leslie Lane and Field Ave.

"So many of my customers come in that ride the Riverwalk and that's the only place that they feel safe," Eckstrom said. "To me, that's a shame because there are so many other cool places - Main Street, Red Canyon, going out to the Royal Gorge."

The monthly "First Friday Cruiser Ride" Eckstrom organized in June with 25 participants has exponentially grown to 125 bicyclists in September.

"We ride around downtown and then we go over and ride on the Riverwalk," he said. "It's a fun opportunity for families and people to come out and join other cyclists in a little ride.

"This community has so much to offer recreationally and I believe it's going to start with bicycles because that's one thing almost everybody can get out and do."

For more information on cycling in the Cañon City area, visit redcanyoncycles.com or call 285-8169.

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